THE "ROOT OF THINGS."

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12122, 10 August 1895, Page 2

THE "ROOT OF THINGS."

— * — WILLIAM EAUNSHAW'S ADDBESS TO LOCAL WORKING MEN. At the temperance demonstration on Thursday 'evening last the Bey 0. H. Garland, who presided, read the following written address from Mr William Earnshaw, M.H.K., who was unable to be present :— " I exceedingly regret my dutie3 in Parliament prevent me from accepting your kind request to addres3 the people of Wanganui on ' The relation of the working man to the liquor traffic.' If you will permit me to trespass upon your meeting I would like to express a few sentences upea the ' root of things.' The whole of this question rests upon two issues— (l) Have we a majority right to say or compel the individual or minority community to surrender their rights or use or privilege to consume intoxicating liquors ai a bivc rage ? (2) What advantages or bentfitsare lost to the individual or community by the surrender, ' compulsorily or optional,' of the we of alcoholic liquors for beverage purposes ? Within the compass of these two issues rests the whole .tubj«ct and argurrent. Jrfy answer to the first issue is that the foundations ar.d the whole fabrio of our civilisation iB bui t up upon the surrender of the ' abstract riglt ' of the individual to attain and maintain the 'po feet right ' of cur civilisation in its moral, soaial and politic phase. Upon every hind we are celled upon and do moßt willingly surrender the 'abstract right' bi thai a greater right, a trusr individuality and liberty may be conferred upon us ; take an example, one_ of a thou3»nd that will arise in your mind's eye, ' the hw of the road.' The individual has the ' abst'aot right ' to ride, or drive, or wall, as he may think fi-, but we, by a majority right, deprive him of that right and say, ' You shall only drive or ride up one side of the road and down the other ; that jrnn must keep to the right or we will punish you,' But the community in its wisdom and by such arbitrary action- at once gives in return t) each and every person a greater liberty, in that is more pract'cal, equal and abundant In other words we de pnve the individual of his 'abstract right,' which is one of ' license,' and give, 1 in return a right, a liberty, whioh all may enjoy in rafety and equality, So this question of the right of the individual, his ' abstracb right ' to use and do as he may, is overshadowed and must givu way to ' the greater right,' Ihe perfect right involved in tha very essentials of our civilisation, i's foundation?, permanence, and advancement. This 'greater right' must at nil timo3 and under all circumstances prevail over the lusser, ' the personal abf.t-aot righ'.' Who shall say, nay, who dare affirm that tho evidences of the use of alcoholic liquors &9 a beverage is of use or moment to £8 i t our ad- • vancing cmlisation in ito moral, social or i politic phases? While on tha other hand the Prohibition party may and can chow ' overwhelming evid^ces' that such ÜBO ' cf alcoholic HquoraNt-Retards our civiliaa- ' ton ! Degrades our humanhood 1 1 Blights the sanctity ef fcone! Djetroys tha emotional, the fountain spring ! of our civilisation ! Tl:e second question 1 v involved in the firsfi To the working man of your meeting I would siy, — Enshrine this traffic within palatial building's I Adorn it with smiling faces around the f jstive board j Esteem it £or its use as a mark of good fellowship I • Defend it on the grounds of its long ao- ! custorpEd uss ! Fight f>rit on {he principle of 'abatrapt right.' The living ' tiubh must fijme home to every thinking i man and woman that 'true labour re- • fqrma ' areirapossible whilp this traffic is allowed to destroy r^heir wwoea o e funds, their I stamina, th»ir homes, and their children. True labour reform can only progress as tho worters realize the dignity of labour in its true ?oo'al and moral environments The drink demoa is tbe greatest enemy that bars the way of the advancing host I of labour, and overy aian and woman in this meeting knows it." I =====